1 Bus, heading to Johnsonburg PA

... spending the night at Wadsworth OH

Woke up a few minutes before the alarm this AM instead of the middle of the night.

Breakfast was a muffin with egg and cheese, nuked. Plus yogurt and juice. The AM desk person has almost always been the same person and was again today. We talked briefly about reaching 62 and SS. I haven't done the math but don't plan on quitting working in March next year.

We pull out at 6:30 AM, still not first light. But the low fuel light is now on and the gauge is laying on 'E.' I 'know' there should still be about 10 gallons in the tank if I am getting 8 mpg. But instead of 8 mpg, I am getting 7.50 mpg. And I have driven 50 miles further than I had remembered. I won't do that again ... this trip.

1st stop was at the TA in Troy, seven long miles from the hotel. Only one fuel pump in use, I pull into the next one. But the '1' on the key pad doesn't work so I can't type in the correct info. As long as no one else is there, I swing around and pull in backwards so the nozzle is on the correct side of the bus. By the time I am done fueling, all pumps are being used. Good timing.

2nd stop is at the Loves in Greenup for a break. I will fuel somewhere else today so I do not come in tonight on 'E.' But all pumps are being used so it will be later. BB looks at the Naf-Naf but they don't open for another two hours. We need to roll now.

Must have been zoning out some today. We passed the 'Welcome to Indiana' sign, I didn't notice. We went across the scale, I didn't remember it was the IN one. Finally at mile marker 11 I realize we have crossed the line.

3rd stop is another Loves in Mooresville for food and fuel. All pumps are in use when we get there so we go in and get our McD's. BB is freezing in the bus so she wants hot food today. I look at the menu and for signs and no where does it say 'McRib,' but I ask. Yes they do have it so I have it. Back to the bus topic, on this bus I can not set the degrees for the heat, it is either off, cool, vent or heat.

When we walked back to the bus after getting our food, most of the fuel pumps were open. But we ate food first so it would be hot. When we were done eating, I fueled. Still a couple of pumps open. Today we ate and fueled in 30 minutes. And under the new rules, that counts are our '30 minutes not driving' instead of the old rules of '30 minutes not working.'

4th stop is at a rest area near Eton OH. While here I call the drop, small town attitude. They were fine with the 'about noon' drop tomorrow.

We crossed another scale in OH but sent on our way.

5th stop was going to be at a truckstop north of Columbus but I had already fueled so we stopped a couple of miles before at a rest area. Faster off and back on.

6th stop was at Burbank at the Pilot for my final fuel and DEF. One fuel island was empty but others had trucks fueling and trucks waiting. Someone had parked so it longer to back in, but we got it. 1st I put in DEF, only a couple of gallons. Did just slightly better on fuel, I got 7.75 mpg today. Still not the 8-10 I had hoped, but maybe I need to do more math on past trips.

We finally decide we will shut down in Wadsworth. That will get us in and eating before 8 PM.

7th and final stop is at the Comfort Inn in Wadsworth. Food is from the Bob Evans next door. BB gets fish, she has had better. I got the eggs and bacon, it was good. It is a long time between hot eggs nowadays. She had also looked at the food on the other side but it was much more and likely would have taken longer to get the food.

Last night my local dispatcher emailed the drivers wanting updates on who can work the rest of the month. She didn't get any cities on the buses like she sometimes does. I emailed her back this AM saying we could work over the holidays but that I would call her back next Monday to confirm. (Later family messages us saying they would like us in town even if we aren't getting together ... too late.)

Load board

US - 278

IA - 121

MN - 4

WI - 2

Still multi units going to CA, OR, WA and AZ.